infamy

infamy
/in"feuh mee/, n., pl. infamies for 3.
1. extremely bad reputation, public reproach, or strong condemnation as the result of a shameful, criminal, or outrageous act: a time that will live in infamy.
2. infamous character or conduct.
3. an infamous act or circumstance.
4. Law. loss of rights, incurred by conviction of an infamous offense.
[1425-75; late ME infamye < L infamia, equiv. to infam(is) ill-famed (in- IN-3 + fam(a) FAME + -is adj. suffix) + -ia -Y3]
Syn. 1. disrepute, obloquy, odium, opprobrium, shame. See disgrace.
Ant. 1. credit, honor.

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law
      public disgrace or loss of reputation, particularly as a consequence of criminal conviction. In early common law, conviction for an infamous crime resulted in disqualification to testify as a witness. The criterion for considering a crime infamous was whether or not it stamped the offender as untrustworthy. The concept was, therefore, at first limited to so-called crimen falsi, originally perjury, but was extended to any crime involving fraud or corruption. Eventually, all felonies came to be treated as infamous. Testimonial incompetency for infamy, however, has been abolished by statute in England and generally in the United States as well.

      The Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution requires grand jury indictment for any “capital or otherwise infamous crime.” Infamy, for this purpose, depends on the character of the punishment that may be imposed rather than on the nature of the crime. In general, any crime punishable by imprisonment in a state penitentiary is infamous, and any federal crime that may be punished by imprisonment for more than a year is also an infamous crime.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Infamy — Infamy, in common usage, is notoriety gained from a negative incident or reputation (as opposed to fame). The word stems from the Latin infamia , antonym of fama (fame).Infamy is a term of art in Roman Catholic Canon Law. The remainder of this… …   Wikipedia

  • Infamy — • Loss of a good name Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Infamy     Infamy     † Catholic Enc …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Infamy — In fa*my, n.; pl. {Infamies}. [L. infamia, fr. infamis infamous; pref. in not + fama fame: cf. F. infamie. See {Fame}.] [1913 Webster] 1. Total loss of reputation; public disgrace; dishonor; ignominy; indignity. [1913 Webster] The afflicted queen …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • infamy — I noun abasement, aspersion, bad name, bad reputation, baseness, blot, brand, contempt, defamation, degradation, derision, detestableness, disapprobation, disapproval, discredit, disesteem, disfavor, disgrace, dishonor, disrepute, disrespect,… …   Law dictionary

  • Infamy — Album par Mobb Deep Sortie 11 décembre 2001 Durée 71:53 Genre …   Wikipédia en Français

  • infamy — early 15c., from O.Fr. infamie (14c.), earlier infame, and directly from L. infamia ill fame, bad repute, dishonor, from infamis of ill fame, from in not, without + fama reputation (see FAME (Cf. fame)) …   Etymology dictionary

  • infamy — ignominy, shame, *disgrace, dishonor, disrepute, opprobrium, obloquy, odium Analogous words: notoriety (see FAME): degradation, humiliation, debasement, abasement (see corresponding verbs at ABASE) Contrasted words: honor, glory, renown,… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • infamy — [n] shameful, bad reputation abomination, atrocity, disapprobation, discredit, disesteem, disgrace, dishonor, disrepute, enormity, evil, ignominy, immorality, impropriety, notoriety, notoriousness, obloquy, odium, opprobrium, outrageousness,… …   New thesaurus

  • infamy — [in′fə mē] n. pl. infamies [ME infamye < OFr infamie < L infamia < infamis: see INFAMOUS] 1. very bad reputation; notoriety; disgrace; dishonor 2. the quality of being infamous; great wickedness 3. an infamous act 4. Law loss of… …   English World dictionary

  • infamy — noun a) The state of being infamous. Infamy, infamy theyve all got it in for me! Kenneth Williams as Julius Ceasar in Carry On Cleo b) A reputation as being evil. A date which will live in infamy Franklin D. Roosevelt in response to the Japanese… …   Wiktionary

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